Type 2 diabetes is an unremitting epidemic associated with increased cardiovascular mortality. Type 2 diabetes is strongly linked to obesity and the mainstay of therapy is weight loss.

Several important studies of obesity treatment were published earlier this year. The Look AHEAD trial1 was designed to measure the effect of lifestyle-induced weight loss on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in overweight or obese patients with type 2 diabetes. After 9.6 years of intense behavioral and dietary therapy, the intervention resulted in modest weight loss (6.0% vs 3.5% body weight loss in control patients who received diabetes support and education) but did not reduce cardiovascular events or mortality.